"Salty" Food Blogger Jailed for Giving Restaurant a Bad Review

A food blogger who thought a restaurant should hold the salt is now being held in prison.

The Taipei Times reports that the Taiwanese blogger, whose surname is Liu, was sentenced on Tuesday to 30 days in jail and two years of probation for her negative review of a Taichung beef noodle restaurant. She has also been ordered to pay NT$200,000 (about $7000 US) in compensation to the restaurant.

Liu, who covers food, health, and lifestyle on her site, visited the restaurant in July 2008, when she ate dried noodles and some side dishes. In her criticism of the meal, she wrote that the food was too salty, that there were cockroaches in the "unsanitary" restaurant, and that the owner was a "bully."

After being questioned about the review by regular customers, the eatery's owner, surname Yang, filed charges against the blogger for defamation. The Taichung branch of Taiwan's High Court found that while Liu's criticism of the cockroaches was, according to the Taipei Times "narration of facts, not intentional slander," her characterization of the restaurant's food as too salty based on a single dish was unfair. After visiting the restaurant, health officials did not find Liu's description of the restaurant as unsanitary to be accurate.

Huang Cheng-lee, a lawyer in Taichung, told the Taipei Times that bloggers who review restaurants should use photographs to document their criticisms and should aim to be "objective and fair" in their reviews.

So what do you think; did this critic deserve the slammer? We want to hear your thoughts...